Task Enforcement bailiffs USED FORCE to make me pay Con chr fine that is NOT MINE - help

[karmapoliceuk]

I was awakened at 7am this morning by my 9 year old son saying that someone is trying to break down the front door.

 

I ran downstairs and heard someone bashing the door, not knocking, hitting it as hard as they could.

 

I opened the door and it was two people showing me id cards like they were some sort of law enforcement.

 

It turned out the were two bailiffs from Task Enforcement.

 

One of the bailiffs put his foot in my door. I asked him to remove his foot and he said he would not. I asked him again and he still refused to do it.

 

I asked them the reason they were at my house, as I have no reason to have them here.

 

They said they had come to seize goods due to an unpaid congestion charge relating to a vehicle.

 

I explained that the vehicle was not mine and the company name that it was registered under was nothing to do with me.

I recognised the name of the company as a friend of mine and I told them that it was him and that he must of used my address without telling me to register his car.

 

They did not believe me and I walked away to get my drivers licence to prove who I was. I said to the to please wait outside the door and I will go get it, when I came back, they had walked into my house and refused to leave. I asked them to leave but they would not.

 

I will add that I have a 9 year old son and a 16 year old son, and a 4 year old daughter with leukemia. The childrens mother had passed away from leukemia and I am a single father. Their intimidating behavior and unwillingness to listen to reason and acknowledge that this had nothing to do with me was scaring my children and my 9 year old son was shaking with fear and crying.

 

I asked them once again to leave the property as I did not invite them in, and they refused.

 

I then called the friend whom I believed had done this, and he answered his phone, I told him they were here and the reason, and he spoke to them on the phone, he confirmed that it was his vehicle, he knew about the fine, he offered to pay and that he was the one responsible and that he had not told me he had registered his car at my address. he also explained that he was declared bankrupt in September last year.

 

They still refused to leave, they refused to talk to him anymore, they said that if I did not pay them £781.34 they will start removing goods from my property. I explained that none of the goods in my house are my friends and that the car was not mine and they acknowledged that but still insisted on making me pay.

 

I called the police and they eventually arrived but they were no help at all. I explained the whole thing to them, they even spoke to my friend on the phone again and they still said that they can do nothing and that the bailiffs can take goods.

 

The female police officer had to console my 9 year son who was so afraid by the two intimidating bailiffs.

 

While we were waiting for the police to arrive, one of the bailiffs picked up my sons baseball bat that we have in a box near the door, as he plays baseball, and the bailiff was swinging it around. I asked him to put it down.

 

Through the entire episode, the two bailiffs were talking loudly, very unreasonable and acting as if they had all the power in the world. I explained my family situation and what my children had been through, but they did not care at all. One of the bailiffs was incredibly intimidating and I have since found his name all over the internet attached to similar situations.

 

I eventually had to call a friend of mine to come and pay the £781.34 for me so that I could get them out of my house, as my children had now missed school as they were too afraid to leave the house and I could not drop my 9 year old son off at school and subsequently was physically sick and too unwell to go to school. After all my children had been through in their lives they did not need this.

 

When they eventually left, I called the DVLA to have my address removed from the registration of the vehicle and they are doing it and sending me a confirmation letter.

 

There was a lot more that happened with these two bailiffs, but I wont make this a long thread, the basic message is, what action can I take against this company and the situation. This had NOTHING to do with me and I proved it, but the still took £781.34 which we do not have due to me not working full time due to my daughters illness and regular visits to the hospital for chemotherapy.

 

Thank you for reading and would welcome any advice.

 

Thank you

[dx100uk]

get a chargeback going straight away.

 

http://whatconsumer.co.uk/visa-debit-chargeback/

 

reason paid under duress - not the accused

 

this is digusting!!

 

dx

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

How was this payment made?

 

I think that a complaint is also needed to your Constabulary, these officers ignored evidence that they had the wrong person.

 

Address for Complaint PO Box 66480 London E17 0PB tel 0845 680 6581

[karmapoliceuk]

Hello, thank you for your advice, I will do that.

 

The payment was made by a credit card

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

As dx100 advised get on to the card issuer and get a charge back, stating the payment was made under duress, I gather a 3rd party paid this?

[tomtubby]

I am so sorry to hear of your personal circumstances and the awful events of today. Clearly your "friend" was very naughty but despite this, the debt is not yours and this was confirmed by your friend. It would seem that the police officer was also satisfied that this was the case.

 

Of course anyone may make a "voluntary" payment but from what you have written, it would seem that payment was NOT made voluntarily!!

 

In any event, as your friend has been declared bankruot this debt could be included.

 

I hope that nobody minds but I will be sending a private message to poster. I will post back later.

 

PS: Please do NOT post the name of the bailiff on an open forum.

[karmapoliceuk]

Yes it was made by a good friend of mine, I have called her and told her to do it and emailed her the link. The way they treated her was unbelievable too. The whole situation was unbelievable. I am a very reasonable person, and I understand that people avoid paying fines but to have proof that it was not me and had nothing to do with me, and to continue scaring children is unacceptable.

[karmapoliceuk]

I will not post the name of the bailiff.

 

The payment was made under EXTREME duress and I had no choice.

 

I am a law abiding citizen and have never been in this situation before.

 

They would not listen to reason, or call their office to explain it was not me, they just made threats and gave me time limits to pay before they started taking goods.

[Sparks_]

Is this not obtaining money through intimidation or deception? Or demanding money with menaces? Are these not criminal acts? This behavior is beyond belief these baliffs are the **** of the earth and deserve the most punishment available!

[dx100uk]

oh what a shame you didn't get your mobile phone out to record this..

 

hindsight is a wonderful thing!

 

dx

[HCEOs]

If what is said is true, then these idiots have no place in this industry and should be sacked with immediate effect.

 

One point of interest is whether the debt was in a Ltd Company name or a Trading Name? I'm trying to understand why they would attempt to seize household goods.

 

Further, the monetary amount requested clearly suggests that this is their 3rd visit. Does the OP have any previous correspondence?

[seanamarts]

These two thugs both need to be bought to justice and have their certification cancelled.

 

First off they cannot place their foot in the door and refuse to remove it.

 

These people make me feel utterly sick and do not deserve to have this position.

 

Of course they will say they it is their 2/3rd visit when we all know that it is probably their first.

 

Where is the paper work where they can just walk in and start taking stuff.

 

I hope they have no job to go too tomorrow. Unfortunately the company will say they were as polite as could be.

 

The police need to start knowing what they can and cant do with regards to this sort of thing.

[seanamarts]

If what is said is true, then these idiots have no place in this industry and should be sacked with immediate effect.

 

One point of interest is whether the debt was in a Ltd Company name or a Trading Name? I'm trying to understand why they would attempt to seize household goods.

 

Further, the monetary amount requested clearly suggests that this is their 3rd visit. Does the OP have any previous correspondence?

 

Then why dont you get on the phone and tell them this. Im sure being a HCEO you might be believed better than just us ordinary whingers.

[karmapoliceuk]

I would just like to say that I called Transport for London and they have been very helpful.

 

I am waiting to hear back from them.

[tomtubby]

Of all local authorities Transport for London are very good at dealing with complaints and I am sure that this awful matter will be dealt with very quickly.

[lamma]

Almost £800 for a Congestion Charge !! Give me strength. What paperwork was left ?

[karmapoliceuk]

This was their first visit and there was no warning. Even if there was, I would not have opened someone else s mail and would have not known about it.

 

The person whose name it was in was a sole trader, I rang them in front of him and they spoke to him on the phone in front of me, he confirmed everything to them.

 

This was their first visit and we had no prior warning. The refused to listen to reason and I am sure they will say they were polite, but if what they said is true, one of the bailiffs said that they have cameras and have recorded everything, so I am hoping they do, because that will confirm everything I have said.

[unclebulgaria67]

Remember to take this up with your local MP Jo Johnson. If he has any problems, he can speak to his brother Boris and as Mayor he can make sure TFL take action against the bailiffs.

 

I would expect Jo to also take the matter up with the Chief Constable of Kent, as to why the officer did not perform their job properly.

 

The bailiffs were in your home unlawfully and could be prosecuted.

[dx100uk]

This was their first visit and we had no prior warning. The refused to listen to reason and I am sure they will say they were polite, but if what they said is true, one of the bailiffs said that they have cameras and have recorded everything, so I am hoping they do, because that will confirm everything I have said.

 

i bet that SD Card turns out to be faulty!!

 

dx

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Orpington is in the London Borough of Bromley, Met Police??

[unclebulgaria67]

Orpington is in the London Borough of Bromley, Met Police??

 

Yes, I stand corrected. It is the Met. Definitely get on to Jo Johnson about the performance of these Police Officers.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Flipping boundary changes!!

[brassnecked]

Good advice so far, Formal complaint to TFL, the Met, MP, and the superintendent of the Local Police office the police came from, as you wish to make a complaint against the bailiffs for demanding money with menaces, and also to complain about the attending officers who once they knew you were a third party to the debt,

 

should have asked them to leave, and arrested them when they refused.

 

these bailiffs should be arrested and charged for these offences, and lose their certificates imho.

[stu007]

Hi

 

So the Bailiff had cctv well supposedly and should have informed you right at the outset that you were being recorded not almost at the end so I would also report that as well to Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and request a copy of that footage from the bailiff company from their Data Controller.

[hallowitch]

While we were waiting for the police to arrive, one of the bailiffs picked up my sons baseball bat that we have in a box near the door, as he plays baseball, and the bailiff was swinging it around. I asked him to put it down.

 

the police should fingerprint the baseball bat and ask the bailiff to explain why his dabs are all over it

 

there was absolutely no reason for the bailiff to be touching it unless he was trying to intimidate the people in the house